Below is what Fr. Perrone wrote in the Grotto News this weekend on the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. I offer the text here because the online PDF is only available for a limited number of weeks.

My next post will feature iPhone video of his homily today, which did not really focus as much on Pope Benedict XVI as it did on the readings and his continuing discussion on Sacrosanctum Concilium. He offered a few thoughts on the resignation, but referred people to this, below. I hope to have that homily fully uploaded by morning, so check back.

There’s no way I could evade the topic
of the out-of-the-blue announcement of
the Pope’s abdication of the papal office,
effective at the end of this month. I
chose the term thoughtfully, though
without any disrespect intended. To
abdicate is ‘to renounce the throne,’ but
it can also convey a sense of
abandonment, a coloring of the word that
reflects well my feeling of loss, not
unlike that experienced upon notice of
someone’s death. There’s a sorrow with
an unsettling sense of apprehension over
the vacancy of the papal chair that has
been occupied these several years by the
stabilizing hand of Benedict XVI.
Perhaps it would be unfair, given the
Pope’s delicate and declining state of
health, to say that stepping aside and out
of the papal office is somewhat like a
father announcing his departure from his
family. The selfish question I ask is,
Who will take care of us now? It’s not
that I doubt the resourcefulness of the
same Holy Spirit who provided Benedict
for the Church seven years ago. It’s only
that I know some of the papabile
(possible candidates for the papacy) are a
source of no little concern to me were
they to be elected pope. That’s my
visceral, reflexive response to the news,
though I’m ashamed to admit that it’s
near kin to a lack of faith, or a lack of
hope.I realize that I feel this way only because
of the profound appreciation I have had
for this extraordinary Pope with his
abundant talents. Having stood in the
shadow of the bigger-than-life figure of
his predecessor, John Paul II, Benedict
had not been expected to measure up
well to his great height. And yet in a
short number of years he accomplished a
huge amount of good for the Church that
will be felt for long years, maybe even
centuries, to come. I need only mention
my deep gratitude to him for restoring
almost without restriction the more
ancient form of celebrating the Mass,
sacraments and blessing formulae of the
Church. Had Papa Ratzinger passed by
that opportunity I doubt whether these
venerable rites and ceremonies would
ever have been able to make a
comeback. In which case not only would
we have had to limp along in a more
tenuous connection with our liturgical
past but the means for renewing the
‘new’ liturgy, in the light of
longstanding tradition, would be
practically out of reach. But I speak here
only of one–to me the most important
one–of his accomplishments. He brought
the light of his great erudition to bear
upon his theological writings and
addresses which have a unique clarity
and insight, delightfulness and
scholarship, originality and tradition
rolled into them.One other thing that was special about
this Pope was a geniality which stemmed
from a deep culture and an intense
prayerfulness. Holiness and kindliness
emanated in a warm and expressive
personality. This is not something ‘put on’
as many counterfeiters are taught to do in
learning social skills or mastering business
techniques for a ‘sell.’ This is the real
thing, the stuff saints are made of.There are many other things one might add
to these few. (How can I omit to mention
that he’s a musician-pope, perhaps a firstof-its-kind in history?) And then there’s
Benedict’s genuine concern for the
salvation of souls, not only of Catholics
but of other Christians and of Jews. This is
not, as many wrongly think, a kind of
syncretizing ecumenicism that would
neutralize doctrines in order to
accommodate the lowest common
denomination. Pope Benedict held out the
hand of friendship to those outside the
Church because he was the vicar of Christ,
the Savior who wills the salvation of all
men.I had hopes that in many of the Pope’s
initiatives he would soon take the next
step, particularly in regard to the sacred
liturgy. Would he soon celebrate the old
Mass himself with all the pomp of papal
splendor–even just one time? Would he
order an end to hand Communion, or
require kneeling to receive Communion, or
order that all Masses be celebrated towards
God (eastward) rather than towards the
people? Alas, these were not to be so.
My fear is that some of his reforms may
not be furthered by his successor, or
perhaps even be trimmed back by him.
But there goes that lack of trust again...
We need now to pray for a worthy successor to Benedict, or rather, successor
to Saint Peter, a representative of Christ
and a good shepherd for us, a feeble and
easily meandering flock.Fr. PerroneP.S. Our indulgenced year with Saint
Theotonius is about to come to an end
on Monday. The Order of the Holy
Cross will mark the conclusion of this
year with a concelebrated Mass tomorrow (Monday) evening at 7:00 p.m

For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron

St. John of the Cross

Dark Night of the Soul (2.2:3)...

"...the devil causes many to believe in vain visionsand false prophecies; and strives to make them presumethat God and the saints are speaking with them; and they often trust their own fancy. And the devil is also accustomed, in this state, to fill them with presumption and pride, so that they become attracted by vanity and arrogance, and allow themselves to be seen engaging in outward acts which appear holy, such as raptures and other manifestations. Thus they become bold with God, and lose holy fear, which is the key and the custodian of all the virtues; and in some of these souls so many are the falsehoods and deceits which tend to multiply, and so inveterate do they grow, that it is very doubtful if such souls will return to the pure road of virtue and true spirituality."